Minds On

Today’s vocabulary

The element of music that relates to the highness or lowness of a tone or sound.

Let’s get started!

Examine the following picture and its description.

Imagine the shapes were sounds.

Consider the following questions:

  • What might the shapes sound like?
  • Which shape might make a high sound? Why do you think that?
  • Which shape might make a low sound? Why do you think that?
  • What other sounds might the shapes be?

There is a white page. To the left of the page at the top is a circle. At the bottom close to the middle is a triangle. Next to it is a colour button, a play button, and a reset button. Above that is a zig zag line that looks like a w. In the top right hand corner is another triangle.

Action

Get ready, get set…

Pitch is the high and low sounds that make up a song or a piece of music.

A melody is a group of different pitches with one following the other.

The song, “Rain on the Green Grass” is a melody.

Rain on the green grass,

Rain on the tree,

Rain on the rooftop

But not on me!

Check out this audio clip of the song “Rain on the Green Grass.”

Rain on the Green Grass

There are different ways to write pitches. For example:

You could use a scale.

A child bent over touching their toes. Underneath the child is the word do. The same child is now bent over touching their knees. Underneath the child is the word re. The same child is standing up. Underneath the child is the word mi. The child has their hands on their hips and underneath them is the word fa. The child has their arms crossed in front of them. Underneath the child is the word sol. The child is touching their shoulders. Underneath the child is the word la. The child is reaching their hands up to their head. Underneath them is the word ti. The child is reaching their hands up to the sky. Underneath them is the word octave.

You could use movement.

Person standing with legs apart and their hands over their head. A person crouching with their knees bent. Their arms are stretched out in front of them. A person sitting cross-legged with their hands resting on their knees.
Person standing with legs apart and their hands over their head. A person crouching with their knees bent. Their arms are stretched out in front of them. A person sitting cross-legged with their hands resting on their knees.

High pitch

The dancer is standing. Their arms are stretched above their head.

Medium pitch

The dancer is crouching with their knees bent. Their arms are stretched out in front of them.

Low pitch

The dancer is sitting cross-legged. Their hands are resting on their knees.

You could use pictures.

Let’s revisit the picture in the Minds On.

Examine where the shapes are.

How high or low a shape is can be connected to the pitch.

High shapes represent high pitches.

There is a white page. To the left of the page at the top is a circle. This circle is circled on the page. At the bottom close to the middle is a triangle. Next to it is a colour button, a play button, and a reset button. Above that is a zig zag line that looks like a w. In the top right hand corner is another triangle that is circled.

Low shapes represent low pitches.

There is a white page. To the left of the page at the top is a circle. At the bottom close to the middle is a triangle.This is circled. Next to it is a colour button, a play button, and a reset button. Above that is a zig zag line that looks like a w. In the top right hand corner is another triangle.

Medium shapes (or shapes in the middle) represent medium pitches.

There is a white page. To the left of the page at the top is a circle. At the bottom close to the middle is a triangle. Next to it is a colour button, a play button, and a reset button. Above that is a zig zag line that looks like a w. This has a circle around it. In the top right hand corner is another triangle.

This picture is a pitch pattern!

Let’s examine the pitch pattern more closely.

There is a white page. To the left of the page at the top is a circle. At the bottom close to the middle is a triangle. Next to it is a colour button, a play button, and a reset button. Above that is a zig zag line that looks like a w. In the top right-hand corner is another triangle.

Examine the pattern from left to right.

Would the sound begin high or low?

Press ‘Answer’ to find out if the sound would begin high or low.

The first picture is a circle at a high level. The sound would begin at a high pitch.

What if we follow the pitch pattern from left to right? How do you think the pitch would change?

Press ‘Answer’ to learn how the pitch would change.

The sound might start at a high pitch, then go down to a low pitch, after that go to a medium pitch, and finally, end on a high pitch.

Go!

Analyzing pitch patterns

Your turn!

For each pitch pattern, select the corresponding image.

Consolidation

Putting it all together

Task 1: Painting sounds

Create your own art piece to show high and low pitches.

Option 1: Record your ideas using Chrome Music Lab’s Kandinsky experiment.

Option 2: Record your ideas using a method of your choice.

Option 1: Kandinsky Experiment

Chrome Music Lab’s Kandinsky Experiment(Opens in a new window) turns everything you draw into sound.

Press the following tabs to access the steps for using the Kandinsky experiment.

When you first open the experiment, there will be a blank canvas.

A blank page with a green and blue colour button, a play button, and a reset button.

Draw anything you like on the canvas.

Press the ‘Play’ button to explore how the drawing turns into sound.

A blue play button with an arrow and the words ‘the play button’.

Press the ‘Undo’ arrow to re-draw or erase.

A blue button with a curved arrow. Outside of the button is another arrow with the words ‘the undo button.’

Press the coloured circles to change the playback sounds.

There are three sound buttons; one that is half blue, half green, one that is half red, half yellow, and one that is half purple, half pink. They are surrounded by a rectangle. Then there is an arrow and the words ‘the sound buttons’.

Draw a line. Next, draw a rectangle next to the line. Do they sound the same or different?

For example:

A straight vertical line. Next to it is a rectangle.

Draw a line. Next, draw a circle next to the line. Do they sound the same or different?

For example:

A straight vertical line. Next to it is a circle.

What happens if you draw a triangle?

For example:

A triangle in the centre of the page.

Where can you draw on the canvas to make a high pitch? Where can you draw to make a low pitch?

HINT: Change the colours using the circles at the bottom. What happened to the sound?

Record your observations digitally, orally, or in print.

Option 2: Your choice

How will you create a high pitch? How will you create a low pitch?

What lines will you use?

You could use:

  • straight lines
  • curvy lines
  • zigzag lines
  • lines going up
  • lines going down
  • twisty lines
  • or any line you choose

A straight line, a curvy line, a zigzag line, a line going up, a line going down, and a twisty line. Each line has the name of the line underneath it.

What shapes will you use?

You could use a:

  • circle
  • square
  • rectangle
  • triangle
  • freeform shape
  • or any other shape you choose
A circle, a square, a rectangle, a triangle, and a freeform shape that looks like a blob. Underneath the shapes are the names of the shapes.

Record your ideas using a method of your choice.

You can choose to:

  • draw pictures and label the important parts using the words pitch, high, and low
  • tell someone using the words pitch, high, and low
  • write about it using the words pitch, high, and low
  • make a recording using the words pitch, high, and low

Reflection

How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity? Which of the next four sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

I feel…

Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.